Pausanias Analysis

Passage 7.16.6

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Passage 7.16.6: Diaeus's ruin, murder of his wife, and suicide by poison.

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

οὗτος μὲν δὴ ἀγαθὴν δόξαν Ἀθηναίοις καὶ αὑτῷ κτώμενος περιεποίησέ τε ὧν ἦρχε καὶ ἐτελεύτησεν αὐτὸς ἑκουσίως· Δίαιος δὲ Ἀχαιοὺς ἀπολωλεκὼς Μεγαλοπολίταις κακῶν τῶν ἐφεστηκότων ἧκεν ἄγγελος, ἀποκτείνας δὲ αὐτοχειρὶ τὴν γυναῖκα, ἵνα δὴ μὴ γένοιτο αἰχμάλωτος, τελευτᾷ πιὼν φάρμακον, ἐοικυῖαν μὲν παρασχόμενος Μεναλκίδᾳ τὴν ἐς χρήματα πλεονεξίαν, ἐοικυῖαν δὲ καὶ τὴν ἐς τὸν θάνατον δειλίαν.

English Translation

This man, indeed, gained for the Athenians and himself a noble reputation, preserved those he governed, and willingly met his own end. Diaeus, however, after ruining the Achaeans, brought news to the Megalopolitans of the disasters that had befallen them; then, having slain his wife with his own hand to prevent her from becoming a captive, he ended his own life by drinking poison. He proved to resemble Menalcidas both in his greed for wealth and, similarly, in his cowardice regarding death.

Proper Nouns

Diaios (Δίαιος) person Q2066030
Menalkidas (Μεναλκίδης) person
Megalopolitans (Μεγαλοπολῖται) place
Athenians (Ἀθηναῖοι) place Q844930
Achaeans (Ἀχαιοὶ) place Q191962
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